Shoulda, Woulda
by coffee dazed
Summary: Arthur's getting married and it's not to Gwen.
1. Chapter 1

_**Inspired by the little preview trailer for 3x6. Hope you like it. As ever, I own nothing

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**Shoulda, Woulda**

His face was the picture of calm composure as he stood before the cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth, his king and sire, Uther Pendragon and the entire court of Camelot alongside his soon-to-be wife, Princess Elena.

Yet beneath the calm exterior, Arthur's heart and mind were a whirlwind of emotions as he fought every fibre of his being that screamed at him to run away back down the aisle and out of Camelot, grabbing Gwen's hand on the way and taking her with him.

He couldn't bring himself to look in her direction – he could already feel her eyes on him, deep brown eyes that were filled with love and the sadness of longing that it was she who would stand next to him and not the blonde princess who the king had so quickly chosen to be Arthur's bride.

Arthur wished that he could be braver, or that he could be more selfish and defy his father's wishes. Hell, he wished that Gwen wasn't as noble of heart as she was. He wished that she had shouted or screamed at him when he had gone to tell her of his father's impending plans - anything that would assuage his guilt at betraying her just a little bit. However, she was Guinevere and shouting and screaming was not her way. His Guinevere had simply stood sombrely in front of him, listened to his words and calmly told him that she would watch him grow into the king that Camelot deserved.

Had she, instead, asked in some small way for him not to marry Elena, Arthur wouldn't have thought twice about whisking her away right then and there and Camelot be damned. But wait, Arthur caught himself, she wasn't _his_ Guinevere – not anymore – and his heart weighed heavily in his chest.

There was a hollow roaring in his ears as he felt blood rush to his head and though he could see Geoffrey's lips moving, Arthur couldn't hear the words. Unbidden, he let his head move almost imperceptibly to the side and as if by some irresistible force, his eyes flickered immediately to the dark young woman standing at Morgana's side.

* * *

Gwen felt sick watching the man she had been in love with for so long about to marry someone else. She had known all along that this was how things must be but so far, Arthur had resisted any notion of marriage to another and she had let a part of herself believe that as unrealistic as it was, he would wed no-one but her.

Her stomach had churned horribly the day that he had spoken to her regarding the plans for him to marry the visiting princess and she was sure that he had seen her turn the sickly green colour that she was certain had flooded her skin.

Her brain had frozen for a few long moments as she processed what he was saying to her and her first instinct had been to throw her arms around him and beg him not to. However, she was Guinevere, daughter to the steady and noble blacksmith, Tom, and she was not given to histrionics even in the most dire of circumstances. Instead, she swallowed her grief and put on a brave face. She had to show Arthur that she would support him in whatever decision he made and that she'd never come between him and his love and duty to Camelot regardless of any personal attachment she might feel towards him. So she let her love go in deference to a greater cause.

Gwen felt her legs wobble beneath her and she was glad of the long skirts that hid their trembling. She thought that she might tell Morgana that she was unwell and needed to be excused from her service that day but she told herself not to be silly. She might very well not have to face this particular day but what about the next and the day after that and all the days after that? She couldn't be unwell forever. The maid hoped that nobody could see the yawning chasm of sorrow that had opened within her but a brief look in Merlin's eyes told her this was not the case. She looked away from her fellow servant and back to Arthur, just in time for his sapphire blue eyes to catch her gaze.

* * *

"_Say something, one word and I'm yours!"_ Arthur pleaded silently to Gwen. _"Just say it!"_ He knew it would be to no avail but his heart leapt into his throat when he thought he saw Gwen's lips part slightly and her mouth begin to open.


	2. Chapter 2

_**For dreamland4 for what was possibly her longest review ;p **_

_**Lots of lovely thanks to everyone following this fic – a generous sprinkle of magic dust for all!

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As Gwen met Arthur's look, she poked out the tip of a pink tongue to run it over dry lips. She thought she glimpsed a look of despair on the prince's face as she did so but there was nothing she could do about it. The future of Camelot lay in this marriage and she must abide by it no matter how much it might pain either of the would-be lovers.

Anxiety coursed through her as she watched the proceedings unfold before her and the cleric's low voice intoned the words of a short sermon on the sanctity of marriage.

* * *

Arthur was staring blankly at Princess Elena, wondering how on earth he was going to go through with the final part of the ceremony. Even at this late stage, he racked his brain trying to think of a way to get out of it. Perhaps he could fake a seizure of some description? That would at least buy him a day or two until a better plan came along.

He was jolted out of his reverie by the urgent whispering of Geoffrey which followed a sharp cough.

"Ahem! Your Highness? Prince Arthur?"

Arthur raised questioning eyes to the cleric.

"Your Highness, the vows." Geoffrey gave him an encouraging smile.

"Oh, uh, of course." The prince looked back to Elena who was regarding him with a hopeful gaze. He felt a bit guilty, after all, he did not think her a bad person and she had also been pushed into this marriage of convenience. It was just her bad luck to be the person who took Arthur away from Gwen.

Arthur hesitated, trying to delay the inevitable. He heard the distinct clearing of his father's throat – a none too subtle signal to his son to get on with it. The expectant hush from the assembled guests began to bubble with confused murmuring.

Finally unable to avoid the inevitable any longer, the prince started to speak when suddenly, he was interrupted by a noisy rustle followed by a solid thud. Arthur looked round to locate the source of the disturbance and part of him was unsurprised to find the cause was Merlin.

From his higher vantage point, Arthur could see through a gap in the crowd that his servant and friend was lying prone on the floor while Gaius and Gwen knelt beside him, a faint expression of bewildered panic etched on the physician's face. A crowd had gathered about the boy and there were some calls for him to be hurriedly removed so that the wedding might continue as no amount of Gaius shaking Merlin's shoulder and calling into his ear would wake him.

Concern for Merlin overtook Arthur. The young man might be a servant to everyone else but Merlin had saved Arthur's life numerous times and moreover, had proved to be a true and loyal friend as well.

To everybody's astonishment, the blond man bounded down the few steps of the dais and over to the fallen sorcerer.

"Arthur!" snapped Uther loudly.

"Just a moment, Father. I want to see that Merlin is well."

"Gaius is looking after him. He's just a servant," was the hissed reply. Uther had given his son's wedding a lot of pomp and circumstance and it would not do for him to be shown up at this critical stage of the proceedings.

"Merlin is my friend and his well-being is of great importance to me." Not only was Arthur grateful for the delay in his wedding, his concern for Merlin was genuine.

"Your _bride_ is waiting." Uther stressed the word.

"Well she can wait a while longer." Arthur never looked in Elena's direction. "Camelot need not worry, I shall do my duty but I will do so when I am certain of Merlin's health. He has saved my life on more occasions than I care to remember."

There was now a loud hum of noise as people not nearby the commotion wondered what had caused the hasty departure of the groom away from the bride who now stood by herself looking forlornly after Arthur.

By now, Merlin had been lifted up by two guards and at Gaius's instructions was taken down to the physician's chambers while Uther could only watch helplessly as the wedding turned into a shambles with the groom abandoning the occasion in favour of a servant!

Camelot's king suppressed his rage and composed himself before calling for everyone's attention.

"My lords and ladies, due to unforeseen circumstances and my son's, uh, great compassion for his fellow man, there will be a delay in proceedings…"

* * *

In Gaius's chamber, Merlin lay comatose on a small pallet while his three closest friends stood around him wondering what had happened to make him collapse so suddenly.

"Gwen, could you fetch me some lemonbalm from the kitchen gardens? I can brew it into a tea and it will help soothe the boy when he wakens," Gaius asked Gwen to run the errand.

"Of course, Gaius." Gwen looked worriedly at Merlin before hurrying away.

A few moments passed after the soft 'click' of the closing door had sounded.

One blue eye opened to regard the physician and prince cautiously.

"Has she gone?" asked Merlin quietly.

"Merlin!" exclaimed the prince. "What do you mean 'has she gone?' Do you mean you've been pretending all this time?" asked Arthur. "You interrupted my wedding for a trick?"

Merlin sat up. "I've done you a favour."

"What?" spluttered Arthur. "My father is furious that I've left Princess Elena at the altar, albeit temporarily, because of you! How is that a favour? I should have you strung up!"

The sorcerer squinted curiously at Arthur. "Are you saying you _want _to marry Elena?"

"Well…no…but that isn't the point," retorted the prince.

"That is the whole point. Arthur, you know that it should be Gwen you're meant to be with and marry and this is a reprieve from marriage to someone you do not love."

Arthur glanced warily over at Gaius who simply inclined his head to acknowledge that he was already aware of the feelings between Arthur and Guinevere.

"So what?" sighed Arthur defeatedly. "Father still wishes me to marry her for the good of the kingdom."

Merlin looked questioningly at his friend. "Well, he may not wish to if he thought it were the work of magic."

Arthur shook his head uncomprehendingly.

Gaius took over. "We believe that Princess Elena is being influenced by magic, pixies in fact."

"You're in on this?" Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"Well, there have been some indication that aspects of Elena's personality are reminiscent of the pixie Grunhilda."

"How do you know her name? It is a 'her'?" asked Arthur.

"Uh, there is mention of such a creature in the lorebooks." Gaius skated quickly over the subject of his knowledge of magical creatures.

"So anyway," Merlin came to his mentor's rescue. "If Gaius says that there is magic at work here, then Uther can be persuaded to postpone the wedding until it has been proved or disproved…"

"And your collapse is the first sign of such magic." Arthur finished Merlin's sentence.

Gaius nodded slightly. "Your father knows that I have some knowledge of magical issues. I believe he would listen if I were to inform him of my suspicion. After all, he would not wish to run the risk of his son and heir being held in thrall to magic."

"And that would leave you free to marry Gwen." Merlin added with a grin.

"Marry Gwen?" Arthur's voice was almost a squeak.

"Well don't you?"

"Maybe," conceded Arthur who had become very quiet and shy all of a sudden. A thought occurred to him. "How long are you going to keep up this pretence?"

"As long as need be until we can prove it."

"And who will do your work while you are 'unconscious'?"

Merlin couldn't resist a smirk. "I guess you will just have to do it yourself."

Arthur's jaw dropped. "I think not! I will just have to bring my armour down here for you to polish."

"Sire, don't you think it might look a bit suspicious if you do that? Many people would question why the court physician is cleaning armour for you. I suspect you might have to employ another servant in the meantime." Gaius could not hide the slight twinkle in his rheumy eyes.

Arthur huffed a little as he folded his arms and looked from Merlin to Gaius and back again.

"All this for me?"

"No," Merlin replied. "All this for you and Gwen."

* * *

Light footsteps could be heard coming towards the chamber.

"Shhh," warned Gaius as Merlin quickly lay back down and assumed his unconscious pose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Many continued thanks to everyone for reading, you're fab!

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"And you are sure about this?" Uther Pendragon's face was stony as he mulled over the conversation he had been having with Gaius who had asked to speak with him privately in the council chambers.

"I am as sure as I can be without hard evidence, sire. However, I do honestly believe the presence of magic is real and that Princess Elena is somehow involved with it." Gaius's tone was grave.

"How did the servant Merlin come to be affected by it?"

"He had come to me a few days earlier saying he had noticed the princess's nanny behaving strangely and talking into a mirror. Presumably, the nanny caught wind of Merlin's suspicions and decided to take action to remove him from the wedding and possibly preventing the marriage from taking place."

"I see." Uther paced the stone floor, boot heels clicking sharply off the hard surface. "Very well." He said this firmly, more to himself, and strode determinedly out to the guests who now filled the Great Hall with noise and speculation. He called, "Wait here," over his shoulder to the physician. As the king returned to the guests, the noise died down as everyone waited to hear an explanation for the interruptions.

"My lords and ladies, my apologies for the delay. I am sorry to have to announce that due to Prince Arthur's concern for his loyal manservant who is gravely ill, he is unable to complete the ceremony. The wedding is postponed until further notice. Thank you for attending today and again, Camelot apologises for the unfortunate circumstances." There was a finality to Uther's voice which brooked no arguments or questions.

The King of Camelot went over to Princess Elena who was now sitting beside her nanny, anxious confusion written on her face.

"Elena, of course, you are welcome to stay until we know more of the boy's condition."

Geoffrey of Monmouth hid his surprise at news of the postponement. "The ceremony will not continue today at all?"

"Not today, no," replied Uther. "You shall be informed of any further changes." Although the king appeared not to even notice, he did not miss the look of barely suppressed fury on the nanny's face.

Uther returned to the council chambers and Gaius. "Find out the truth, any evidence of magic. Do whatever it takes. There will be no marriage until we know what is really happening."

* * *

Gentle hands wrung out a cloth and dabbed carefully at Merlin's brow.

"He's so pale and still." Gwen worried over his unconscious form. She lifted her head to Gaius. "Will he get better?"

"Hopefully, we are trying to find a remedy."

"It's been three days now and there's been no change." She sighed unhappily. Gwen spent most of her free time sitting with Merlin, tending to the 'stricken' young man. With Arthur standing behind her and leaning against the wall by the door, she did not see the way his jaw clenched and the vein in his neck pulsed as he watched the way she was so tender in her ministrations of his servant.

Gaius looked to the window and saw how dim the light was. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Gwen, it is getting late, you must rest. Merlin is comfortable and we are all doing all we can for him."

The maid smiled gratefully at the older man and at the word 'we' she glanced over at Arthur who nodded and smiled reassuringly at her. Gaius walked over to fetch a tincture of some sort as she stood and made her way to leave. "I shall come by again tomorrow, Gaius. Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me, my dear. Good night." His back was turned to her as he continued to search through the many little bottles and phials on his shelves.

Stopping in front of Arthur, she said, "Good night, my lord." She went to curtsey but he caught her hand.

"Please, Guinevere, there is no need, not here." His look was earnest as he held her gaze and he did not let go of her hand but rather, held it tighter as if afraid that once he released her, she would never return.

Her eyes widened slightly and she opened her mouth to protest but his expression halted her and instead, she bowed her head just a little and gave him a tentative smile. "Good night…Arthur." Gwen felt like a tongue-tied teenager. She had used Arthur's name plenty of times before when talking about him with other people but she had never used it with him directly. It felt strange and awkward, as if she were overstepping her boundaries even though he had expressed his wish for her to do so.

Arthur felt a peculiar quiver in his stomach hearing his name spoken in her soft voice. It sounded good to his ears, it sounded right like that was the way it should always be between them.

"Good night, Guinevere. Sleep well." He reluctantly released her hand and watched wistfully as she left.

His face hidden from view, Gaius let a knowing smile creep onto his face before he heard a noise behind him.

* * *

"Whoo!" exhaled Merlin as he dropped his pretence. He hopped off the pallet and began to walk up and down the chamber to stretch his legs. "Please Gaius, don't let Gwen come tomorrow. She is lovely at looking after people but I might just catch pneumonia if she doesn't stop wiping my head with wet cloths!"

"That's not very grateful of you – she thinks you're dying and you're complaining!" Arthur surprised himself with the sharp vehemence of his tone.

"Then why don't you just ask her to marry you instead and she doesn't need to think I'm dying and I don't need to complain?" retorted Merlin.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," admonished Gaius as he shuffled back to where Arthur stood glaring at Merlin but unable to give a suitable reply.

"Now, Merlin. I have been thinking and I think I have found a way to show Grunhilda for what she really is." He held up a small bottle of a syrupy, purple liquid.

"What is it?" asked Arthur curiously. He did not often go to Gaius's laboratory and the smells and sights of smoking liquids heating and bubbling over small flames fascinated him even as the leech tank disgusted him.

"This is a special distillation of several herbs and, uh, some other ingredients which you're probably best not knowing about." Gaius let out a low chuckle to himself whilst the two younger men shared a look of mild alarm.

"What does it do?" asked Merlin.

"It strips away magical disguises, reveals the wearer's true form. Arthur, you must try to get Grunhilda to drink some of this potion. It is a powerful solution - just a few drops is all that is required but beware, it has a taste that is distinct, much like almonds but with a hint of bitterness. You will need to hide it somehow."

"Me? Why me?" exclaimed the prince. Subterfuge was not his natural state of being, Arthur preferred the more straightforward sword-and-slash method which in his opinion usually brought more direct results.

"Sire, Merlin clearly cannot go, he is meant to be close to dying. We cannot tell Guinevere lest you wish to tell her everything?" Gaius looked meaningfully at Arthur who slowly shook his head. He was not yet ready to confront and battle his father over his love for a commoner, a _servant_. "There is no-one else we can tell about this and we can't let Grunhilda get wind of our suspicions."

"Very well, I shall do as you say." Arthur pursed his lips as he wondered how he was going to complete his latest mission.

* * *

Late next morning, Merlin was sitting, poring over a heavy book of magical lore trying to find out more information about pixies when he heard a sound at the door. Quick as a flash, he dived onto the pallet while throwing the book down the space between a small chest of drawers and bookcase.

With eyes closed, he heard a peremptory knock at the door before it swung open and he heard the sound of it close before a familiar voice spoke loudly.

"Get up Merlin, it's me." Arthur commanded.

"Arthur, you might have given me some warning."

The blond man shrugged. "No need. Besides, I can't stay long, I've got training soon." He was about to say more when he caught a surprised expression on Merlin's face. "What is it?"

"Your armour…"

"Yes, Merlin, it's what knights generally wear when training with weapons."

"Yes, I mean, no…I mean, it's _shiny, very shiny!_" he peered at his friend and master. "Who have you got to do the polishing?"

"Uh, just another servant."

"Oh, who's the unfortunate?"

"Um, red-haired fellow, I forget his name."

"Red-haired? I don't think the castle has any servants like that…" frowned Merlin.

"Perhaps he is new?"

Merlin caught something in Arthur's voice, something which did not quite sound right and after scrutinising him for a few moments, he realised what it was.

"There is no red-haired servant. You polished it yourself!" he exclaimed. "Don't deny it, you did!" Merlin practically crowed with incredulous laughter. "Prince Arthur cleans his own armour. Well, well, well. Does this mean I'm out of a job now?"

"No it does not! You will have more than enough to do after you have your miraculous recovery!" Arthur was adamant but added more sheepishly, "However, I…um…don't really trust anyone else with my armour."

"Is that a sort-of compliment, my lord? I _am _honoured," mocked Merlin good-naturedly.

"Shut up, Merlin!"

They were quiet for a second or two then Merlin spoke, "Gwen came by earlier. She's very worried about me, you know. Hopes that I get better as she doesn't want to lose me." He kept his face straight, unable to resist baiting Arthur. "She talks to me."

"She's a very kind and caring person and she's only talking to you because you can't answer back." Arthur gritted his teeth. "Can't think what you've done to deserve her attention, though." He knew how she felt about him but he couldn't help feeling a bit jealous at the amount of time she was spending with Merlin, even if it was a bit one-sided and not of a romantic nature.

Although Gwen was not aware of it, Arthur knew that Gwen had been a tad smitten with Merlin when he first arrived in Camelot and sometimes he thought she might still have a soft spot for him.

"Anyway, Merlin," said Arthur brusquely, "I just came here to ask what you might think the best food or drink would be to hide the potion that Gaius gave me."

Seeing that he had hit a nerve with Arthur, Merlin felt a little guilty and put aside any remaining mischief he might have planned. He thought for a minute before grinning. "A cherry and almond tart. Almond for obvious reasons and the bitterness could be explained by using sour cherries."

Quick to shrug off the momentary antagonism he felt towards his servant and friend, Arthur clapped him on the shoulder. "Genius!" With that, the prince set off for the training fields with a reminder to stop in at the kitchens.


	4. Chapter 4

Hot and sweaty from another hard session of trying to whip another group of would-be knights into shape, Arthur returned to the castle kitchens where, not so long ago, he had commissioned from the cook a special dish comprising of a pastry case lined with a sour cherry compote base and topped with a frangipane filling with flaked almonds scattered over the top.

This time, however, he did not stride into the kitchen in his usual brash manner but instead, crept quietly (as quietly as a man in armour could) down the few stairs to the main room where the cook and her assistants bustled around each other in what looked like a chaotic but carefully choreographed dance.

He could hear the matronly, no-nonsense cook muttering to herself about the amount of preparation and food to be cooked for this evening, there were still a number of the more important guests to whom Uther had extended an invitation of unlimited stay.

Poking his head slowly around the corner, Arthur scanned the scene carefully but he was quickly confused by the number of pots and saucepans steaming and bubbling merrily on the hobs while a suckling pig was being spit-roasted within the large cooking fireplace which was tended by a young lad who frequently mopped his brow with a large handkerchief.

The prince sighed, irritated by the uncomfortable heat and his inability to seek out the particular pot or dish or whatever it was that he was supposed to be looking for. _So much for stealth! _Arthur blew out a puff of air from the corner of his mouth which lifted a lock of blond hair which hung over his eyes.

Standing up straight and pulling his shoulders back in a suitably regal fashion, Arthur pulled out the small phial of purple liquid and carefully loosened the cork stopper before hiding it in one of his mail gauntlets which he had taken off.

* * *

"Ah, Cook," he said to announce his visit to the woman who was astounded to see the prince appear not once but twice in one day in a part of the castle which he had hitherto never set foot in before.

"My lord?" she asked enquiringly.

"I was just wondering how that cake was coming along?" he smiled brightly at her.

"Tart."

Arthur cocked his head to one side, a little taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Tart," she reiterated. "It's a tart, not a cake." Running a busy kitchen such as Camelot's required almost military organisation and planning and Cook was not going to be swayed from her work even if it was the Crown Prince.

"Oh, I see, yes." He realised just how out of his depth he felt in a domain where he clearly had no control whatsoever.

"It's 'coming along' fine. Were you wanting it served for this evening's meal?" Cook asked bluntly.

"Um, no. I was rather, uh, wanting to serve it to Princess Elena as an afternoon sweet." Arthur felt like a child caught doing something naughty but not being sure what he had done wrong. "Could I see what it looks like?"

Cook gave him a funny look but he was the prince and she wasn't technically in a place to refuse him even if she ruled in the world of the kitchen. "This way, though I must tell you, it is not yet near finished cooking."

Arthur followed her to a long wooden workbench on which sat an earthenware dish lined with pastry on covered with a jam-like cherry sauce, a bowl next to it held the filling of ground almonds, butter, sugar and eggs. He wasn't lying when he leaned over the containers and sniffed, "Mmm, smells good." He pointed to the cherry mixture. "May I?"

Cook took a small spoon, lifted out a taste of the compote and held it out to Arthur who nodded in satisfaction after carefully putting it to his mouth. It held just the right amount of sharpness to account for any bitter taste that might be present in the finished tart.

"It tastes great, thank you." Arthur beamed his most charming smile at the middle-aged woman in an attempt to soften her stern demeanour but he could see no noticeable effect. All of a sudden, he lifted his nose as if sniffing the air. "Is that burning?" he enquired with a note of concern and nodded in the direction of the great fireplace.

Cook let out an unseemly yelp at his query and bustled hastily to where the pig was crackling and sizzling under the kitchen-hand's attentive eye with no hint of burning at all. Arthur felt a bit guilty as he briefly watched the lad being scolded harshly by the cook for something which he hadn't even done but there was no time to tarry.

With a furtive glance round about him to make sure nobody was looking, Arthur slipped the small bottle from his gauntlet and sprinkled a few drops of the potion on the cherry layer. He was about to return the bottle to its hiding place when with a slight shrug, he added an extra shake. _For luck_.

He slipped away, mission complete, and sent a silent prayer that the plan would work.

* * *

Gwen was surprised to see Arthur emerging from the kitchen as she returned from her latest visit to Merlin. It was distressing for her to see her friend so helpless and it distressed her to be so helpless to do anything. Merlin, she decided, was arguably her best friend in Camelot. Certainly, she was well-liked by many of Camelot's citizens but there were not that many she would call close friends and fewer still who she would share any secrets with. In many ways, Merlin fulfilled that role – they had supported each other through tough times, shared hopes and dreams. They could be themselves with each other safe in the knowledge that there would be no repercussions from any confidences shared.

To Arthur, she had given her heart whether she wished it so or not and he had reciprocated the feeling in small, subtle ways but the huge barrier between them remained insurmountable. She knew she had to let him go – she'd already done so by not showing any objection to his marriage to another but there was still that hollow, empty sadness in her soul.

He spotted her immediately, as if his senses were automatically tuned to find her wherever she was and he went straight over towards her. There was nothing wrong with that was there? Just two people showing their concern for a mutual friend, that was all. Their eyes and behaviour told a different story, though and the slight nervousness and the uncertain glances spoke volumes about things their voices could not utter out loud.

"My lord." Gwen's eyes were downcast.

"Guinevere. How is Merlin?" Arthur wanted to place his fingers beneath her chin and tilt her face up to his.

"He is the same, at least he has not deteriorated." She rewarded him with an optimistic smile.

"And how are you? I hope that you are well? I hope that we, I mean Merlin, aren't taking you away from any time you might want to have to yourself?" She was touched by the feeling in his question.

"No, no," she replied quickly before pausing. "Since her return, Lady Morgana has not required my services as much as before and I find I have more free time than I know what to do with these days."

"You can always spend it with me." The words had come out before he realised what he'd said and his eyes filled with horror at himself and he feared the worst, that now he had surely driven her away with his forwardness.

Gwen felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and also guilt that she secretly very much desired to do just that. "I…I…uh…" she stammered, not knowing what to say.

"I meant, there is plenty you can do for me." Arthur was horrified as he heard what he said in his attempt to extricate himself from his bad case of foot-in-mouth disease. "That is, with Merlin out of action, there are some chores that I need done." Arthur shook his head in mortification as she regarded him with startled eyes.

_Dear gods, I've just told her I see her as nothing more than a servant!"_ He could have kicked himself and he wished the ground would swallow him whole right then. Everything he was saying was going wrong!

It was Gwen who took the initiative to leave first. "I see. Please excuse me, my lord. I have some chores of my own to attend to." She hurried away, leaving him staring after her with a devastated expression.

* * *

That afternoon, when Arthur had bathed and changed, he took charge of a rather delicious looking pastry set on a pretty plate and made his way to the guest chambers where Princess Elena was currently being housed.

His knock on the door was answered by her nanny, Grunhilda.

"Your Highness," curtseyed the plump older woman.

"Ah, Mistress Grunhilda, how delightful to see you again." Arthur kept his smile bright as he entered the room and went over to where Elena was sitting and who now looked at him with some wonderment and pleasure at his unexpected appearance." She had had little contact with her supposed husband-to-be much to the disgruntlement of her nanny and the poor princess had begun to give up all hope of being re-united with him.

"Elena, I'm sorry that I have been unable to see more of you lately since the unfortunate incident with my servant. I'm sure you understand what it must be like to worry about a dear companion who has fallen very ill."

The young princess looked over at her nanny and smiled sweetly. "Yes, of course. I'm sure I wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to Grunhilda, I think I would be beside myself."

Arthur kept up his full charm offensive. "Thank you for being so understanding and to make up for my lack of attentiveness, I wish to invite you and Mistress Grunhilda for a spot of cake and sweet wine which Cook has prepared specially."

Elena clapped her hands in joy. "That would be lovely, we shall come with you now, won't we, Nanny?"

Arthur held out his arm to young woman and led the way out while Grunhilda allowed herself a satisfied smirk which she quickly hid.

* * *

Tables had been laid for the royal court to enjoy a light repast and the top table seated the royalty and their companions. Grunhilda sat alongside her charge since she was her only companion in Camelot.

The conversation was light-hearted and Uther demonstrated his capacity for easy small-talk with all his guests and gave everyone an idea of where Arthur had inherited his charm from.

While guards lined the walls at intervals, several pageboys hurried amongst the tables to serve the guests efficiently and on the top table, Arthur had laid his very special tart. "Please, let me serve. It's the least I can do." He used a knife to expertly cut out generous wedges which he gave to Elena, Grunhilda, his father and himself.

Uther raised his goblet and announced a toast. "To Princess Elena."

Everyone followed suit and echoed, "Princess Elena," accompanied by polite smiles in her direction.

"Yum," nodded Elena in approval as she took her first mouthful.

"This is very good, Arthur, you must give Cook our compliments," agreed Uther.

The slices of tart were finished in quick time and Arthur insisted in second helpings which nobody objected to.

With their stomachs satiated, Arthur's look of satisfaction was not out of place and his expression subtly intensified when out of the blue, Grunhilda let out a very loud belch. She immediately clapped her hands over her mouth before lowering them again when she thought it had passed.

"Oh, my dears, I do so apologise. I don't know what came over me." At that moment, her belly began to gurgle conspicuously and her plump face began to turn a light purplish-pink colour and her nose began to elongate until it ended in a sharp point.

There were some cries of alarm as little black nodules appeared all over her face and skin while her ears also became large and pointed as her teeth and nails lengthened and sharpened.

Finally, the transformation (or reveal) was complete and Grunhilda glared malevolently at Uther Pendragon who had drawn his sword.

"What manner of dark creature are you?" he demanded.

Meanwhile, Elena was staring aghast. "Nanny! What's happened to you?" she cried and to which Grunhilda snapped.

"Oh be quiet, you stupid girl! All this time I've wasted on you, trying to get you to behave more like a proper princess and you couldn't even get the prince when you had him in your reach!"

"But Nanny…"

"Don't 'Nanny' me. I never wanted you foisted on me in the first place and the last eighteen years of my life have been the longest!"

Elena burst into tears at that as her world was flipped upside down and the woman she had come to know and love like a mother turned out to be nothing of the sort.

"Sire," called Gaius as he approached the king. "She is Grunhilda, a pixie working for the Fairies, though I do not know what her purpose is here."

"Magic is not tolerated here!" Uther snapped. "Guards, seize the creature!" he bellowed his command as armoured men sprang from their stations and raced towards the pixie.

However, the power of the Grunhilda who served the King of the Fairies was greater than any of the mortals present at that time and before anyone could get near her, she made her escape, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Gaius?" Uther looked askance at his oldest advisor.

"She has left, sire. I'm afraid that where she has gone, we cannot follow her," the physician answered gravely.

* * *

"Merlin!" cried Gwen delightedly when she opened the door to Gaius's chambers and found the young sorcerer to be on his feet once more. Much to Arthur's bemusement, she ran straight to Merlin and threw her arms about him in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're alright! How do you feel? Do you need any help?"

Merlin laughed and returned her hug before holding her back from him slightly. "I'm absolutely fine. Gaius told me what had happened, I can't believe I missed all the excitement!" He turned to Arthur. "What of Princess Elena?"

Arthur folded his arms. "The poor girl was distraught and she had no idea of Grunhilda's true form. Even so, though, father won't have any association with magic at all so the wedding is off. She left this morning with an escort that father arranged for her."

"All's well that ends well, eh?" Merlin grinned as he looked from Arthur to Gwen who shared a brief smile and gaze of hope and longing.

The spell was broken between Arthur and Gwen at those words as the blond man stared pointedly at his servant.

"Yes, Merlin, it does. I have my personal servant back, alive and healthy which is a good job as there is a stack of steel to be polished, shirts to be mended, floors to be swept, stables to be mucked out…"

Merlin cursed his big mouth as Arthur's list of chores droned on and on. Nevertheless, he was glad that the latest disaster had been averted and his two best friends still had a chance to be together.

* * *

**So, that ends this particular fic – just in time to see what really happens in Saturday's episode!**

**I hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Please leave a review if you can**

**x**


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